Luckhardt brought winning to W&J football 40 years ago
Winning and football at Washington & Jefferson College were not synonymous 40 years ago.
Something had changed, however, as the Presidents prepped for the 1984 season.
The most significant difference was coach John Luckhardt, who was brought to Washington in 1982 to change the fortunes of the long-suffering Presidents football program and was beginning his third season at the helm.
While the 1982 and 1983 seasons did not produce winning seasons, attitudes and talent level were changing.
Luckhardt, his staff and players, sensed a breakthrough was near.
“We had about 120 guys out,” Luckhardt said. “We had preseason plans. I planned to practice three times a day and it was hot. It was challenging and those who stayed had taken the steps to become a champion.”
The roster went from 120 to 72.
Luckhardt’s urgency and tougher practices were noticed.
“He instilled confidence in us,” defensive lineman Kevin Rozsa said. “He made sure we knew we had to do more and be better.”
W&J went 8-1 in the regular season and won the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, which included a season-defining command performance against Carnegie Mellon, a 36-8 victory, at College Field.
“CMU was the team you wanted to beat,” Rozsa said.
“We jumped all over them and did not look back,” running back DeWayne Jeter said.
“That was the game that made us feel like we belonged,” said offensive lineman Jim Kraus. “Two years before, it was daunting. They were the class and we wanted to be. Now, we were.”
The Presidents officially clinched the championship with a 37-7 whitewash of Grove City.
Included in W&J’s wins were decisions over Juniata (28-24), Geneva (34-7), Thiel (19-14), Bethany (52-26), Hiram (21-3) and John Carroll (20-0).
W&J’s lone regular-season loss came to Case Western Reserve (34-16), after starting the season with four consecutive victories.
In the NCAA Division III playoffs, the Presidents won a dramatic, 22-21 come-from-behind quarterfinal game against Randolph-Macon in Ashland, Va.
Central Iowa ended W&J’s season, 20-0, in the semifinals.
W&J football was now different.
“The kids really responded to my tougher approach,” Luckhardt said.
When Luckhardt arrived at W&J, the Presidents had lost 22 of 27 games the previous three seasons. W&J had not won eight games in a season for 63 years and had not won a PAC title since 1970.
“It was a tough camp,” said kicker Ted Bell. “Camp was hell. (Luckhardt) had a purpose.”
More talent, wins
The genesis of the change was the procurement of better talent, more athletes and a group of win-starved players.
Luckhardt, who came to W&J from Lehigh — where he was defensive coordinator — saw two players follow him to Washington, lineman Ed Kusko, who became an All-American offensive tackle, and quarterback Mike John, the PAC’s offensive Most Valuable Player in 1984.
He brought in transfers, including Jeter from West Virginia and linebacker James Witherspoon from Pitt. And he recruited several outstanding players from across the WPIAL, including running back A.J. Pagano — who made an instant impact and became a generational talent and soft-spoken leader.
“It was a fun year,” Pagano said. “Besides my senior season (1987) it was my favorite season. (Winning football games) was something new at W&J. The older players accepted the young ones. Everyone was enjoying life.”
All kinds of success
Team success led to individual honors.
Steve Gulakowski was All-PAC at safety. John Savage was a second-team All-PAC nose guard.
Matt Walsh was the conference’s Rookie of the Year at tackle. Rozsa was All-PAC defensive tackle, Kraus was All-PAC center. Bell was All-PAC kicker. Bill McClung was All-PAC tight end with 44 receptions and 790 receiving yards. C.R. Chernik was All-PAC linebacker.
Honorable mention PAC selections were linebacker Jack Broeren; Jeter, wide receiver; and receiver George McKenna.
Gene Berkowitz was a stellar offensive lineman and second-team All-PAC performer; Shiloh Icenhour, another transfer – was another high-level running back; and Peters Township’s Brian Martin, the PAC’s Rookie of the Year at outside linebacker.
Fullback Deric Jordan also added to the Presidents’ offensive arsenal and meshed with the potent and diverse backfield.
Finally, D.J. Camerson was a vital cog of the secondary. The Canon-McMillan product was one of just four seniors.
“We had special, impressive people,” Kraus said. “We had good-natured people and great team players.”
Postseason success
Winning the PAC was landmark, but the unthinkable postseason win was next level.
“John had the program moving,” said George Lammay, the current public address announcer at Cameron Stadium and analyst for WJPA Radio for that playoff win. “In retrospect, it was one of those defining moments. W&J started winning NCAA playoff games that day. It put them in a different light.”
“The defense really held W&J in that day,” said WJPA Radio play-by-play announcer Bob Gregg. “Things weren’t going well offensively. W&J got the stop it needed and Pat Herr makes the big block. The offense scores and the impact was simply that W&J was on the national football map. It’s something that has lived for 40 years.”
Herr said the play called to block the punt “was on and this time it worked” as W&J linemen pulled Randolph-Macon’s linemen out of their spots.
“I hit that seem perfectly,” Herr recalled, “which left their fullback with a decision – me or our outside rusher. He picked the outside. I think I may have touched the ball before he punted it.”
W&J took over at the 26-yard line and finally on a fourth-down, John called his own play and turned to freshman Jim Greaves, who was waiting in the back of the end zone. He snared the game-winning pass and it was a play and a moment etched forever in his mind.
“I fell to my knees,” he said, securing the touchdown and a huge piece of Presidents’ football history.
“When I saw Mike’s eyes, I knew he was throwing me the ball,” Greaves added. “It was an unbelievable feeling of joy and accomplishment. What a great comeback. We hung in there.”
Pagano, who was the face and legs of the turnaround, changed the path of W&J football forever – or at least 40 years.
“Winning was new to the program, which hadn’t done anything for so long,” Pagano said. “It was a most exciting season. No one expected us to do anything that year. After that, it just became an expectation.”
Added Jeter: “Forty years later our group started the streak of 40 straight winning seasons. It is meaningful. It’s prideful. I hope it goes to 50 and beyond. It feels better as the years go by.”
John Sacco writes a column for the Observer-Reporter about local sports history.